Publication: Sapa Issued: Johannesburg Date: 2005-08-18 Reporter: Sapa Reporter:

Durban Businessman is Zuma's Key Funder

 

Publication 

Sapa
SCORPIONS-N/L-ZUMA
Date

2005-08-18

Issued

Johannesburg

Reporter

Sapa

 

Leading KwaZulu-Natal businessman Don Mkhwanazi emerged on Wednesday as a key mover behind a campaign to raise funds for embattled former deputy president Jacob Zuma, The Mercury website reported on Thursday.

Zuma is expected to face several charges in a costly and lengthy corruption trial starting in October, the online journal said.

About two months ago, Zuma was fired by President Thabo Mbeki after Judge Hillary Squires ruled that he had a "generally corrupt relationship" with Schabir Shaik, his convicted financial adviser.

Mkhwanazi has emerged as the major player in efforts to raise funds -- expected to run into millions of rands -- for the defence and Zuma's upkeep.

Mkhwanazi, who has been involved in numerous businesses and was once chairperson of the Central Energy Fund, is heading an initiative, called Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust, which is charged with building a war chest for Zuma's defence.

Mkhwanazi is chairperson of the three-member board of trustees.

The other members are Fikile Slovo Majola and Sizwe Shezi. Majola is a leading member of the South African Communist Party, while Shezi is chairperson of the South African Youth Council.

Mkhwanazi, who is also involved in a number of community fund-raising and business initiatives, told The Mercury he had previously been involved in the Jacob Zuma Reconstruction and Development Programme Education Trust.

He said: "The money is going to go towards the legal costs to ensure that he [Zuma] gets the best legal brains and to ensure that the trial is fair.

"This is a good cause because the man has been charged and found guilty without going to court. That is a miscarriage of justice and we need to restore confidence in justice insofar as Zuma is concerned."

Mkhwanazi, who is involved in the King Zwelithini Peace and Development Trust, is confident that enough money would be raised.

In the period after the unbanning of liberation movements, Mkhwanazi was Mbeki's confidant and was known as an ANC economic adviser. However, the two later had a fallout *1.

He is also the chairperson of Friends of Masson Lincoln School for the physically challenged in Umlazi and leads the KwaZulu-Natal Black Economic Empowerment Alliance.

He chairs the investment arm of the eThekwini municipality, the Durban Investment Promotion Agency, and was founding president of the Black Management Forum.

With acknowledgement to Sapa.

*1  Nuf said.